The UN General
Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution ‘on the situation of human rights of
Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar’ without a vote.
The resolution, jointly tabled by
the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the
European Union (EU), was cosponsored by 109 countries, the highest number of
countries since 2017.
The primary focus of the
resolution was the human rights situation of the Rohingya Muslims and other
minorities in Myanmar, including in the context of current political
developments.
It called upon Myanmar to address
the root causes of the Rohingya crisis and create conducive environment in
Rakhine to facilitate voluntary, safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas to
their homeland in Myanmar.
The resolution also called upon
Myanmar to cooperate fully with the Special Envoy of the Secretary General on
Myanmar and all the human rights mechanisms of the UN. The resolution
recognized the important role of the regional countries and the regional
organizations, such as ASEAN in addressing the political and humanitarian
crisis in Myanmar, and in this regard called for swift implementation of
ASEAN’s 5-point consensus.
The resolution noted the ongoing
justice and accountability processes and welcomed the developments in the case
against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice and the investigation by
the Prosecution of the International Criminal Court.
The resolution expressed
solidarity with Bangladesh and recognized Bangladesh’s humanitarian efforts,
and its continued cooperation with the ICC, IIMM and other accountability
mechanisms towards ensuring justice and accountability for the human rights
violations against the Rohingya in Myanmar. The member states have also been
urged to continue its humanitarian support to the Rohingya living in Bangladesh
in the spirit of responsibility and burden sharing.
“Pending their return, the
Rohingyas living in the camps deserve the solidarity of the international
community. The humanitarian response plan needs to be adequately funded.” said
Bangladesh’s Charge de Affairs Mr. Md Monwar Hossain during adoption of the
resolution. In his statement he also expressed appreciation to OIC and EU for
their leadership on this important human rights issue.
Referring to the untenability of
the protracted presence of Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Mr. Hossain stated that,
“while we provided shelter to the fleeing Rohingyas out of humanitarian
consideration, they were always meant to return to Myanmar. To that end, we
have taken multi-pronged diplomatic efforts – both at the bilateral and
multilateral fronts with a view to improving the conditions in Myanmar and
facilitating their safe, voluntary and sustainable return.”
This resolution in the UN is a
unique example of cross regional solidarity for the Rohingya Muslims and their
cause. It is a matter of great regret that the situation in Myanmar continues
to deteriorate leading to delay in the repatriation of the Rohingyas to their
homeland. This resolution gives the UN member States the much needed impetus to
reinforce their collective efforts to achieve durable solutions for the
Rohingyas.
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